Getting the news of a loved one’s illness can be devastating. It can be more traumatizing if it is a mental illness; the stigma surrounding mental health, although a lot less than before, can make it even more disturbing.
On top of the sadness of looking at your loved one in pain or distress, mental illnesses can change your relationship dynamics and affect how you interact with them.
Often one does not know how they are expected to behave and what is the best way to deal with them is.
Everyone goes through rough patches of time, and for some, it can lead to mild to more severe forms of mental illness. Some signs are obvious, while others are less apparent.
If you cannot indicate signs of depression or anxiety before they get more intense, don’t beat yourself.
Reflect on the present situation and identify the best way to handle it. Following are some beneficial tips to help you modify your interaction with those suffering from mental illnesses:
- Address the issue and talk it out
Bottling things up never ends well but conducting an open conversation is also no walk in the park. However, regardless of how difficult it might seem to breach the topic once you notice signs of mental illness, do not back out.
You need to communicate to the patient that you are there to listen to them and support them through life’s good and bad times.
Skilled psychologists are trained in the best way to interact with patients, and degree courses like online masters in mental health counseling emphasize this aspect of psychotherapy.
You should familiarize yourself with the best way to talk it out with someone who is mentally ill. You cannot offer help unless you are fully aware of the situation, so breaching the topic is necessary.
Begin by giving them your full and undivided attention with no distractions. Then, instead of taking control of the conversation, let them direct the flow of the discussion and share as much as they want.
When disclosing personally distressing information, avoid making assumptions about attempting to diagnose the problem yourself. Listen with an open mind.
- Assist them in seeking professional help
Regardless of what others might say, mental health is equally important as your physical health, and just as you would seek help in medical emergencies, mental health concerns also need to be addressed.
Family and friends play an important role in convincing the patient to seek help. Offer your loved one to visit a psychologist for the first diagnostic appointment.
After that, assist them through therapy and encourage them to meet all treatment appointments. If you live with the patient, give them reminders about their medication and counseling homework.
- Don’t panic during an emergency
Severe mental illnesses might occasionally include episodes of suicidality, hallucinations, or delusional or erratic behavior. If you happen to be present when your loved one is undergoing a mental health emergency, panicking is the worst possible response.
First, you need to recognize a mental health emergency; common mental health crises include suicidal or homicidal behavior, non-suicidal self-injury, erratic, unusual behavior, and unpredictable behavior.
If you find yourself in any such situation, call 911 and the patient’s healthcare provider. If the problem is not very intense, you might have to attempt to talk to them.
Listen to them without being judgemental, let them talk, and avoid confrontation. In a medical health emergency like self-injury, take immediate first aid action and call 911 if necessary.
- Provide emotional support
Your loved one’s mental illness will be much harder on them than you, so don’t forget to offer as much empathy as you can.
Be supportive and understanding of their turmoil. Social relationships, family, advice, support from loved ones, empathy, and a shoulder to lean are significant for everyone. For someone with mental illness, such support becomes all the more important. For someone suffering from depression or anxiety, for instance, having someone to talk to can alleviate much emotional distress.
- Adopt the LEAP approach
When interacting with your mentally ill loved one, keep in mind the LEAP approach; it stands for Listen, Empathize, Agree, and Partner. This method effectively encourages a mentally ill person to accept and follow through with treatment.’
Listen’ attentively to understand the other person’s point of view. ‘Empathize’ with their problems and acknowledge their thoughts and attitudes. Then reach an ‘Agreement’ about the treatment intervention, discuss its advantages and disadvantages, reflect on the benefits, and reach a mutual agreement.
Lastly, once you have reached an agreement, you can ‘Partner’ with each other and set common goals to overcome agreed-upon challenges.
Final words
For someone who is mentally ill, the support of loved ones is important to help them get through this rough patch in life. While dealing with the mentally can be excruciating, being the one experiencing the problem is much worse.
Remember to express empathy, communicate well, give them a listening ear, seek professional assistance, and provide emotional support to your loved one.
In addition to providing them such support, also familiarize yourself with the situation to deal with emergencies effectively and prevent escalation.
A constant threat of crisis often characterizes mental health problems, and you should know how to handle them well.
